Clasps comprising means of fine adjustment of a watch bracelet length are already known in the state of the art. A clasp with fine adjustment of a bracelet length means a clasp which make it possible to adjust the bracelet length over a short travel for the best possible fit to optimise the comfort of the person wearing the watch. These clasps usually include an end link via which one of the bracelet strands is connected to the clasp cover. The end link is able to slide in a longitudinal direction of the clasp between a first “in” position in which it is housed in the clasp cover and a second “out” position in which it is outside from the clasp. Consequently, the available length for fine adjustment is determined by the travel of the end link between its first and second positions.
The end link cooperates via a toothed element with a rack toothing to index the end link position. When the toothed element is meshed with the rack toothing, the end link is immobilised. Elastic uncoupling means are provided to disengage the toothed element from its mesh with the rack toothing.
A clasp of the type described above is known, for example, from EP Patent No 11192833.9 filed under the name of the Applicant. According to one of its features, this clasp is fitted with an arresting means preventing the removal of the end link from the clasp cover. Owing to this feature, the connection between the clasp cover and the bracelet strand connected to the end link cannot be disassembled without destroying the link.
According to a preferred embodiment, the arresting means is removable, which, if necessary, allows the end link to be replaced when the wristwatch is returned to after-sales service. A threaded through hole, into which a first screw is screwed, is therefore provided in the end link. The tip of the first screw projects into a groove arranged in the bottom of the clasp cover. Since this groove is limited at each end by a stop member which marks the bottom of the groove, it is quite impossible to disassemble the fine adjustment end link once the first screw has been screwed in. Next, a cap is driven on or bonded to conceal the first screw and to keep the hole out of the user's sight. In that case however, the clasp is permanently impossible to disassemble. To overcome this drawback, it is proposed to conceal the first screw from the user's sight by means of a second screw arranged in the extension of the first screw. In this way, it remains possible to dismantle the assembly given that, in order to remove the first screw, the second screw simply needs to be taken out.
It is clear from the foregoing that, in order to ensure that it is possible to disassemble the end link, the clasp construction is relatively complex.